Around the World with Marsha & Joel

8:30 am departure from the spectacular Plitvice Lakes National Park and drive back to the coast road to head south toward Split. Our first stop is the oldest Slavic town on the Adriatic Sea, Zadar.

Zadar was once a famous cultural center. Above is the Riva, seaside promenade popular for strolling and seaside viewing.

On Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, Zadar is known for the Roman and Venetian ruins of its peninsular Old Town. The Cathedral of St. Anastasia is Roman Catholic and the largest church in Dalmatia.

Croats did invent the necktie/cravat, so to be a true Croat you should wear a necktie with an image of a dalmatian on it – the Dalmatian is a registered breed from the area.

As you stroll to the end of the Riva and dock area you see this enormous circle that is actually solar cells. It powers varying beams of light at night that come from the holes you see in the foreground. This is part of a grand public art project that includes the Sea Organ.

The organ looks like steps descending to the sea with rectangular holes in front. It’s an enormous “instrument” that is played constantly by moving water beneath and the wind. The sea and sky were quiet today so you had to get down and listen to the melodic…and haunting sound…. No butts about it!

Now an absolutely beautiful drive down the coast along the blue, blue Adriatic with views of lots of the 1,246 islands and Rocky Mountains on the left. The cumulus cloudscape is a painting by a master.

The next stop is Trogir, a center of art activities and meeting place of scholars from around the world. It’s known for its preserved mix of Renaissance, Baroque and Romanesque buildings.

Attracting labor to these areas is very difficult. The factories, ship yards and ports all need help, but it’s not very attractive for laborer families. The apartments are very small and rules saying there will be no elevators in buildings up to four stories tall aren’t a draw. Some of that is changing.

We finally make it to Split where we have a wonderful group dinner in a restaurant near our quaint boutique hotel. This Dalmatian meal; Octopus salad, antipasto, braised veal, grilled sea bass, chocolate crepes, flan, good local wine…and actually a good group of local musicians and singers. Long, fun day. Some sleep and ready to do Split tomorrow.

We start moving further south and further inland this morning winding up and down some sculpted, terraced highway. The weather stays nice – in the high 60s-low 70s, sun and clouds. Perfect for the things we’re doing. Our destination today is Plitvice Lakes National Park, one of Europes’s most spectacular wonders. We pull into the parking lot, meet our local guide, cross a bridge and see this.

An incredibly lush valley of 16 terraced lakes linked together with some 90 waterfalls and miles of planked walkways.

Rick Steves says to imagine Niagra Falls diced and sprinkled over a heavily forested Grand Canyon. He’s right. The flora is also diverse and beautiful. A white birch stand, wild flowers, wild orchids. Fish abound, waiting along the water’s edges for a handout from visitors.

Some of the most amazingly blue, clear water I’ve ever seen. It’s filled with calcium carbonate from the limestone cliffs that settles on all the rocks and wooden dead falls for a ghostly look beneath the surface.

Bu the real attraction are the falls – very plural.

We walk for miles covering the lower section first. It’s the most accessible, and the most crowded. We take a boat ride over the largest lake and drop off the least adventurous members of the group. About 12 of us continue up to the more strenuous, but way less crowded upper lakes section. (More strenuous because the 300 plus steps to get back up to the hotel at the end – really not that bad). We spend about 4 hours wandering.

A short break to hear and feel the sound of the water and the birds (lots of them). Every turn of every corner brings a new vista and sound, ranging from a great roar of one of the big falls, to the soft quiet punctuated by an occasional song bird.

Listen. Imagine.

Near the end and 80 meter wall; widest falls in the park.

Very relaxed we climb the not so daunting ramp and steps back to the hotel for a dinner of scorpion fish. Off tomorrow for Dalmatia; Zadar, Split and finally, the next day, Dubrovnik. Dreaming waterfalls.

From Opatija we drove the eastern coast road south along the Istria peninsula. We wound up the mountain road past some of the most desireable villas in this part of Croatia. It’s a great place to live, with the beauty of the area and the accessibility to the rest of Europe. That is opposed to living in Dubrovnik for example, that is really off the beaten path. Many wealthy Austrians invested in winter homes here.

The trip also exposes the local dependency on coal for energy, although more green fuels are being invested in. This plant currently satisfies 17% of the Croatian energy need. The “quaint” company town by the coal mines just south is now deteriorating. Residents only go into the mines now to extract high-sulpher coal to heat their homes. The lung cancer rate here is through the roof, as is black lung disease in the older miners.

20% of Croatia’s GDP is from tourism, and 20% of that is from Istria. So, many of the jobs are seasonal. Some of the tourism workers defer their over time pay to tide them through the winter season. Some migrate, as does our guide, Rok. He goes to Asia and Indonesia in the winter as a Scuba instructor and guide.

We’ll talk more about the economy and political culture of the area later in the blog. In the meantime, talking about “crossroads”, Rok made an important point in saying that his mother was from Austria, his father from Yugoslavia, his aunt from Italy, he from Slovenia…and they all lived in the same place. Complicated changes in the area are just part of the history.

But, our first stop is the town of Pula, a strategic port since ancient Roman times.

At the entrance to the town is this impressive Roman Amphitheater.

It’s one of the largest of its kind in the world. And, as you can see, the weather was cooperating. What a sky!

The site is beautifully preserved, virtually all original. This amphitheater is also unique in its underground space where special elevators would lift the gladiators and wild animals up through the sand combat areas, really charging up the crowd. It was all marketing and showmanship. Viewers didn’t have to pay to enter, but ended up paying big by gambling, buying replicas of their favorite gladiators and more.

The preserved under-amphitheater now displays some of the many items dug up in the area – here amphorae. Whenever construction happens, thousands of antiquities are exposed. They virtually don’t know what to do with them.

Here’s one use…a “bench” in a park where we stop to have a bite of lunch. These digs are everywhere.

Even the local geckos like to sun on the antiquities. It’s a beautiful spot but we have to head off to Rovinj, a gorgeous old harbor town. The drive passes olive trees – olive oil country…along with some of the best prosciutto in the world. Also great sheeps cheese (so they tell me) and some truffles. Old stone walls are everywhere around farms. A way to rechannel and divert the winds to prevent soil erosion.

Our first view of the old town of Rovinj. We set off for a walk to the opposite side for another beautiful view back to the old city.

Off for a bite to eat – a Mediterranean tuna sandwich for me and a Burek for Marsha (a stuffed kind of filo-wrapped sandwich famous in these parts – usuallly with cheese unfortunately). Then a trek up the hill to St. Euphemia church you see in the background.

Uphill, but a beautiful climb.

Not a spectacularexterior, nor interior, but for $3 you can climb into the bell tower for incredible views.   The climb is up 192  steps made of creaky, narrow, splitting wooden stairs with clear views to the bottom through the cracks between. We squeeze the rails and walls and place each foot sideways (so it won’t get stuck between). Not happening in the US. But here is the reward on top.

The climb down is almost as harrowing as the climb up, carefully placing your feet on every step. But again, we reward ourselves after the accomplishment at the cafe outside the church…

…with some very good local designer beer.

Headed back to the hotel and made reservations at another Rick Steve’s recommended restaurant a ten minute walk from the hotel. Ruzmarin was definitely top of the line. Excellent food and wine with some very interesting fellow travelers. And the price is amazingly right. Packed up and ready to start on the long journey tomorrow Toward Plitvice National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And some interesting stops on the way. Get some rest.